Around Lyon

 

1.  Picking & sorting Beaujolais grapes

2.  Statue of André-Marie Ampère

3.  Lyon, beside the River.

4.  Grape vines on steep slopes near Condrieu.

5.  The wide Rhône River.

6.  Bollene lock. 22M deep. Deepest in France.

7.  Roquemaure church.

 

From Thoissy on the Sâone R. we cycled to several small wine growing villages of the Beaujolais wine growing area. Vineyards & country roads were very busy with tractors & trailors  as grape picking was in full swing. Mostly red grapes being picked by hand.

 

We spent 3 days at Lyon. While there we visted the passageways in the old city. Big wooden doors lead into these passage ways & homes, built from the 14thCentury onwards, which are still lived in today.

While wandering around the city we came accross the statue of André-Marie Lampère, Born in Lyon. 1775-1836. He was a French physicist, natural philosopher & mathematician who is best known for his contribution to electrodynamics. The Ampere---The unit for measuring electric current was named in honour of him.

 

Our journey down the Rhône started when we left Lyon.

 

Angela & Stephen Cowper came to stay when we were at Les Roches-Condrieu. A wine growing area.They took us on a tour of the area in their car, plus wine tasting at Vidal-Fleury, which was very interesting.

 

The locks on the Rhône are deep, the deepest, the Bollene lock is 22M deep.

The Rhône is big & wide with a current, which is not strong at this time of the year. The wind can become strong, which it did 1 morning after we were well on our way. Fortuneately we came accross a place to tie up near the village of Roquemaure where there is a 14th century collegiate church , of the Languedoc Gothic style. A local poet, Placide Cappeau, composed the hymn 'Silent Night', here to celebrate the restoration of the church organ.

Since 25th Oct 1868 this same church has housed the relics of St. Valentine, the patron Saint of all lovers. A rich wine grower purchased them in Rome to protect his vines from the Phylloxera disease, which appeared in Roquemaure for the 1st time in 1866. Since those days, Valentine looks over the countryside & their vineyards. By 1pm, the River was calm again & we continued our journey, to Avignon, which is a beautiful old city but we only stayed 1 night as the port was alongside a busy road.

 

Now we are on the canal between the Petit Rhône & Sête Rivers, making our way towards our winter mooring, near Agde. We arrive back in NZ on the 4th Oct.